Legalising a foreign document for use in the Netherlands
In most cases, it is possible to have your foreign document legalised. This means that the document can be used for legal purposes in other countries. This is usually done in the country where the document was drawn up. After legalisation, your document will be ready for use in the Netherlands or at an embassy or consulate of the Netherlands elsewhere.
Last updated on 19 January 2023
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Ways to legalise a document in different countries
You can search for the country where your document was drawn up on the netherlandsworldwide.nl website. You will then see a list of authorities that are authorised to legalise a document. A document such as a birth certificate.
Legalisation in the Netherlands by the Consulair Dienstencentrum (CDC)
The Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken – BZ (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in Den Haag (The Hague) has a legalisation desk where you can submit documents for legalisation. This is desk is called the Consulair Dienstencentrum – CDC (consular service centre). In some cases, the CDC can legalise a document for you or help you to get it legalised. The netherlandsworldwide.nl website has information on which situations legalisation or mediation by the CDC is possible.